Hide-stretcher.



WIT/VESSES T. R, 11101511114l HIDE STRETGHER.

APPLICATION FILED APRA, 1911.

d NW1 Lw. adx

7720/7705 Mclean.

coLUMulA PLANOGRVM'II Cn., WASHINGTON. n, C.

THOMAS RUFFUS MCLEAN, OF TODD COUNTY, SOUTH DAKOTA.

HIDE-STRETCI-IER.

accents.

Specification of Letters Patent.-

Application tiled April 4` 1911.

Patented Oct. 24;, 1911.

Serial No. 618,848.

To all whom et may concern:

Be it known that I, THOMAS R. MCLEAN, a citizen of the United States, and residing in the county of Todd and State of South Dakota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hide-Stretchers, of which the following is a specification, such as will enable those skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to devices for stretching hides, and particularly the hides of the smaller animals such as minks, weasels, muskrats, coons and the like, which are usually skinned without splitting the hide or skin longitudinally; and the object of the invention is to provide a device of this class which is simple in construction and comparatively inexpensive and which may be conveniently manipulated and which does not require a high degree of skill in the operation thereof.

The invention is fully disclosed in the following speciiication, of which the accompanying drawing forms a part, in which the separate parts of my invention are designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which 5- Figure 1 is a plan view showing my improved hide stretcher and the method of its operation g-Fig 2, a partial longitudinal section on the line 2--2 of Fig. l and on an enlarged scale ;-Fig. 3, a transverse section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1 with the parts indicated in dotted lines only and on an enlarged scale ;-and, Fig. 4, a front view of the main cross head of the stretcher.

In the practice of my invention, I provide a yoke shaped frame a composed of a stift' wire or rod bent into the required form,vand the length of which is preferably approximately four times its width and the ends of the side arm portions of said yoke shaped frame are passed through a crosshead and through oblong slots or openings b2 formed therein, and provided at their outer ends with thumb nuts b3 and said side portions of the yoke shaped frame a are also provided inwardly of the crosshead b with stops or collars b4.

The closed end of the yoke shaped frame a is tapered or pointed as shown at a2 and passing centrally through the crosshead o is a rod c, the outer end portion of which is screw threaded and provided with a thumb nut o2 and the inner end portion of which is pivoted in a block el, as shown at o3.

Pivoted in the crosshead o, at the opposite sides of the rod c, as shown at c, and adapted to swing laterally in said crosshead, are spring arms e which extend inwardly and longitudinally of the frame a and which are curved outwardly and provided with rings or eyes c2, through which the side members of the yoke shaped frame a pass, and secured to the opposite sides of the rod o, forwardly of the block d, as shown at c5 are outwardly and forwardly directed arms f, provided at their outer ends with rings or eyes f2 through which the arms e ass.

The block Z is provided transversely of its opposite sides and near the front end thereof with rods g, on which are mounted yoke shaped jaws L, and wound on the rods g are springs i, one end of each of which is connected with one of the jaws h as shown at 2, and the other end of each of which bears on or is connected with the block d as shown at 3. These springs normally serve to hold the jaws la in their closed position as shown in full lines in Figs. l and 2, or said jaws t may be turned forwardly as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2, and the rod c is provided with pivot clamps j which are adapted to hold the jaws 7i in the dotted position shown in Fig. 2.

In Fig. l, I have also shown a hide 7c of the class specified, and the operation of my improved hide stretching device will be readily understood from the foregoing description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing and the following statement thereof.

The normal position of the parts of the stretcher is that shown in the full lines in Fig. 1 and when it is desired to stretch a hide, the said hide is pulled on over the closed end of the yoke shaped frame a, as clearly shown in said ligure, until the block d enters the open end of the hide k, as shown at 7a2. In this operation the jaws it are swung into the position shown in the dotted lines in Fig. 2. After the hide has beenl pulled over the tapered end of the yoke shaped frame on, as shown in Fig. 1, until the block d enters the open end of the hide, the clamps j are released and the jaws h are turned back into the position shown in full lines of Figs. 1 and 2, and said jaws are provided with teeth it? whichenter -the hide 7c to'securey as will be understood, stretches the hide4 longitudinally on the yoke shaped frame a and also forces the arms e or the inner ends thereof outwardly, and this operation expands the sides of the yoke shaped framema, as will be understood, and the hide is thus stretched both laterally and longitudinally. When rthe hide has been fully stretched, it is allowed to dry and in order to detach it from the frame, the nut c2 is turned in the reverse direction and the parts of the device are forced into their normal position, or into that shown in Fig. 1, and the jaws h may be turned back into the position shown by the dotted lines, and the hide 7c may be slipped off the frame, as will be readily understood.

Although I have described the part c2 as a thumb nut, it will be apparent that any suitable device may be substituted therefor, such asa ring having a threaded hub or a handle device similarly formed.

This device is simple in construction and operation and comparatively inexpensive and may be conveniently used for stretching and drying hides of the smaller class of animals.

I-Iaving fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is :-V

1. Ahvide stretching device, comprising a yoke shaped spring frame, a crosshead portion through which the side members of said frame are passed, a rod passing centrally through said crosshead portion and the outer end of which is screw threaded and providedv with a nut, a block pivoted to thev inner end of said Vrod and provided with clamping jaws, arms pivoted to said crosshead on the opposite side of said rod and extending inwardly of said frame and curved outwardly and provided with rings or eyes through which the side members of the yoke shaped frame pass, and other arms secured to said rod forwardly of said block and through the ends of which the first named arms pass.

2. A hide stretching device, comprisinga yoke shaped spring frame, a crosshead through which the sides of said frame pass and in which they are laterally movable, a rod passing cent-rally through said crosshead and the outer end of which is screw threaded and provided with a nut, a clamping jaw member pivoted to the inner end of said rod, arms pivotedto said crosshead and ranging inwardly of said frame and curved out- ,"v'vardly and through the inner ends of which the side members of said frame pass, and other arms secured to said rod inwardly of "the inner end thereof and extending outwardly and radially and through which the first named arms pass.

3. A hide stretching device of the class described comprising a yoke shaped spring frame, a crosshead through which the side portions of said frame pass, a rod passing centrally through said crosshead and the outer end of which is screw threaded and provided with a'nut, a block pivoted to the inner end of said rod and provided at the opposite side thereof with clamping jaws, arms pivoted to said crosshead on the opposite sides of said rod and extending 1nwardly and outwardly and through the end portions of which the side members of said frame pass, radial arms secured to the said rod forwardly of said block and through the outer ends of which the first named arms pass, and devices connected with said rod for holding said clamping jaws out of operative position.

4. A hide stretching device of the class described comprising a yoke shaped spring frame, a crosshead through which the side members of said frame pass, a rod passing centrally through said crosshead and provided at its inner end with a clamping device and means for moving said rod and clamping device longitudinally and for expanding the side members of said frame.

yIn testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I have signed my name in presence of the subscribing witnesses this 24th day of March 1911.

THOMAS RUFFUS MGLEAN.

Witnesses:

MITCHELL ROUBIDEAUX, GEORGE ROGERS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. C. 

